Weather was a factor in three deaths in Deschutes County, sheriff says

BEND, Ore. (AP) — The Deschutes County sheriff's office is investigating whether weather played a factor in the deaths of an elderly Sisters couple and a 61-year-old Bend man who were found in separate locations Saturday.

Lt. Paul Garrison said in a statement Sunday that authorities conducting a welfare-check found 83-year-old Henry Constable buried in snow not far from his home in the Sisters area.Nearby, authorities also found 69-year-old Brooke Constable covered in snow that had fallen the previous night. The two had been walking through heavy snow from the road to the home.

In Bend, Garrison said Timothy Lillebo had gone out to shovel snow about 30 minutes before his wife found him collapsed Saturday evening. Medical personnel attempted to resuscitate him but were unsuccessful. Lillebo was a prominent environmentalist in Central Oregon and had been associated with the conservation group Oregon Wild for several years.

Garrison says foul play is not suspected in the deaths. Authorities are looking into whether exposure to extreme weather conditions, overexertion in snow or a medical emergency contributed to the deaths.